


All That Was Tangled Came Undone

by fioreofthemarch



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, 君の名は。| Kimi no Na wa. | Your Name.
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Bodyswap, F/M, Same characters in different roles, Set in Hyrule, but with TLOZ lore, in which I make no attempt to alter the plot of Kimi No Na Wa, zelink
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-12
Updated: 2018-02-18
Packaged: 2019-03-03 21:13:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 16,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13349634
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fioreofthemarch/pseuds/fioreofthemarch
Summary: Watching as the star fell, he told himself to commit this to memory. If the Goddess had willed such a beautiful view, then he would do everything he could to never forget.Separated by space, connected by fate. Knight-in-Training Link and Temple Acolyte Zelda find their paths intertwined by an inexplicable phenomenon: they have begun to trade places. Navigating their predicament, the pair soon learn their connection could have cosmic consequences.Pretty much just a novelisation of Kimi No Na Wa but set in Hyrule and incorporating TLOZ lore





	1. past life

**Author's Note:**

> Because I apparently have absolutely no life, here is my Zelink/Kimi No Na Wa crossover. 
> 
> I've made some effort to adapt the story line to fit Link and Zelda and to weave in some TLOZ lore, but the overall plot is almost entirely the same (if it ain't broke don't fix it...)
> 
> The title of this fic is inspired by a line from Another Side: Earthbound, a novel set in the Kimi No Na Wa universe written by Arata Kanoh, one of the writers for the movie.

_All eyes move skyward. People point, gasp, sigh and some even shake their heads in disbelief. What a beautiful view, they say. A gift of the Goddess._

_From his seat at his father’s table, the boy from Castle Town feels a sudden urge to look. It’s as if there is a thread tied to that comet, like one of those taut steel strings on the lyres that the old bards play, and it is pulling him outside. His father nods for him to go, and so he does, a weight in every step._

_The sky is a painting, swept iridescent by the comet that has come to visit his home. It arcs above him with an unbroken tail splayed out like a dancer’s fan, sparkling against a near black canvas._

_The boy from Castle Town never wants to forget this view. Never, for as long as he lives, if the Goddess would only will it. He closes his eyes, committing it to memory. This is important, he tells himself, though he doesn’t quite know where the conviction comes from. Without realising it, he thumbs the braided cord around his wrist._

_As he turns back inside, the tailed star begins to split._

* * *

Sometimes, even upon waking, Zelda will feel as though she is dreaming. Of another life, or of her past life, she isn’t quite sure. The dreams do not linger, only the feeling that something is missing now that she is awake. Every other morning, Zelda will catch a tear in her palm as she sits up in the four-post bed that her father built.

Impa once spoke of past-lives, but Zelda had trouble grasping the concept. During dancing lessons or lessons at the harp, memorising the recitations to Hylia or even just tending to the garden outside the Temple of Time, Impa loved to give lectures on their ancestors, and Zelda’s connection to them. _Your bloodline is ancient, connected irrevocably to this temple._

Zelda had heard those words her whole life, and knew she should trust them – Impa was the Lady of the Temple after all. But Zelda didn’t quite feel it. She knew no grounding to her home, the hidden little Kakariko Village, a farmer’s town in the mountains of Necluda. No roots had been put down by her, none ‘so deep that only a calamity could unearth them’, as Impa liked to say. In any case, a forest fire had swept through the village some hundred or so years earlier, destroying the original Temple of Time and all the records contained within it. If the Goddess truly wanted people to settle in this isolated, cold, and unwelcoming place, then why send such destruction to her own temple?

Planting her feet on the cold, wooden floors of her bedroom, Zelda climbed out of bed and began her day. She dressed first, never looking herself in the mildewed mirror opposite her bed, and then braided her hair and secured it with a braided cord, the way Impa had taught her -- all before the door to her chamber clicked open.

“Oh, you’re awake?” came the shy voice through the gap between the door and the frame. “That’s…normal, then.”

“Normal? What are you talking about?” Zelda asked as she streamed through the open door, and past her adopted sister and fellow temple acolyte. She smiled as she went, though found Paya’s wide-eyed stare a little irritating. The Sheikah child seemed somehow even more frightened than usual, and it could mean nothing good.

The rest of the morning went thus: breakfast with Paya and Impa followed by a quick visit to the goddess statue within the temple to give the morning recitation, and then (Zelda’s favourite part), feeding the fat koi fishes in the pond that flanked the temple’s front steps.

The breadcrumbs made little starbursts as Zelda threw them onto the water, like the fireworks she’d heard Karson’s father describe. Old man Bolson said he’d seen them at the Castle Town Harvest Festival when he’d gone there for his work. The fish bobbed up to the surface in a frenzy, lapping up their feed.

“What would you do if I wasn’t here?” Zelda muttered affectionately. “What would your fate be then?”

Just then, Impa came walking out of the temple, leading Paya by the hand. The little Sheikah was finally growing big enough for her school pack, though it still looked unwieldy at her side, as if stuffed with a great pumpkin rather than school books. Impa handed Zelda her own shoulder pack and took away the bag of fish food she had been holding with a gentle laugh.

“You’re back to normal then today?” Impa asked.

Zelda scrunched up her nose. “Normal?”

“Nevermind,” Impa shook her head. She gave Zelda and Paya a pat on the back both. “Off to school, see you at twilight for practice.”

Side by side, Zelda and Paya made their way around Kakariko Village towards the village school. If one wasn’t paying attention, they could walk the entire round of the town without realising it. The village was bordered on all sides by mountains and was built around the in-land Lantern Lake, which Zelda thought was a strange name since it looked nothing like a lantern. Once or twice as a child, she had walked along the curving road right past the tiny Kakariko Village School, caught up in her head, or in dreams of moving far, far away. She still recalled vividly; she’d walked too far, head slouched towards the ground as she watched her feet shuffling along the gravel when his voice had called out to her.

“Zelda! What are you doing? Why aren’t you in school?”

Her father. The village elder. The memory was so clear in Zelda’s mind that it could be happening this very instant, past and present collapsing down to a single, horrifically embarrassing moment.

Elder Rhoam of Kakariko, the first non-Sheikah to lead the village. He’d been holding a town meeting outside his house, for the village’s business people, and she’d stumbled idly upon it. All eyes turned to her; anyone and everyone important looked at her beet red face.

“Are you dumb or deaf?” her father had barked, and so mortified was she that Zelda had turned on her heel and _sprinted_ back towards her school. Her hate was hot within her, but when she’d walked into class crying, the other children had only snickered. _Weirdo_ , they whispered. _Must be all the praying._

Today, Zelda stopped square in front of Kakariko Village School. Paya had already peeled off to find her classmates, and Zelda was met outside by Karson, the son of a local builder, and Claree, another Sheikah girl.

“Ah, Zelda, your hair is back to normal!” Claree said as she waved her over.

“And look, everything else about her is normal too,” Karson grinned. “You remembered how to put on a skirt.”

“Normal!?” Zelda spat. She was suddenly fed up with that word. “What’s normal about this town?”

Her friends exchanged a concerned look, but said nothing more. Something in her conviction must have convinced them to drop the matter.

* * *

_When you dance, and when you play, you become time._

The string was plucked, and a single, beautiful note escapes into the night air. And then another, and another. _A song of storms, a song of healing, a song of time._ The Lady of the Temple played them well. Their names and their melody had been preserved, but the meaning was lost.

On the dais, the temple acolytes danced – the younger a Sheikah, with snow-white hair, and elder a Hylian, yellow-gold hair held taut by a blue braided cord. In their hands, they held each a golden, stringless harp. The limbs were fashioned to look like birds’ beaks, and braided cords were woven around the wood. Rituals and traditions. _The cord is time, and the song is the soul’s passage through it._

The temple acolytes knelt side by side and began to thread fine steel strings between the limbs of their harp. Tradition dictated that they cut their index finger, and let a drop of blood fall on the final knot that sealed the strings.

Some people of Kakariko had gathered to watch, though not many. The Temple of Time was an old novelty, a relic of a history lost, and for most in Kakariko, they didn’t think it had much meaning anymore. The temple acolytes pricked their fingers to anoint the strings of their harps. From the crowd, a young girl gasped; “Eek! I could never do that, aren’t they embarrassed?”

_When you dance, all those who came before are beside you. Time reels in close to your heart._

Zelda pressed her finger to her lips to soothe the pain and continued the ritual. Perhaps unknowingly, she let go of a prayer to the unseen Goddess. _Past life,_ she scoffed. _In my next one, I want to be anywhere but here._

* * *

The next morning, the streaming sunlight light warming her face woke her, and Zelda sat up sluggishly, throwing back her coverlets. Her whole body felt slow and ungainly, bruised even. Like she was a stranger within it. Her mind made leaps and bounds to find an explanation; _must be the stress, or maybe last night’s ritual._ She rubbed the sleep from her eyes, taking in the smell of the morning air. A little…smoky? Impa must be making something different for breakfast.

Climbing out of bed, Zelda planted her feet on the floor.

On the warm, soft floor.

Still in the haze of sleep, her mind cartwheeled over itself this time to find an explanation. _Oh, I must have left a blanket by my bed._

Zelda stood up and took a few steps towards what she thought would be her dresser, where her clothes for the day would be hanging. _Lots of blankets on the floor_ , she thought, almost giggling, until her morning weariness was ripped away by something hard and painful colliding with her foot.

Her leg shot up, her hands catching her aching toes, but now standing on one foot, Zelda found herself lurching to the side. She fell, landing on the carpeted floor with a dull thump and a groan. Recovering, Zelda blinked, and for the first time, she saw.

She had run into a wall. A plain, empty wall in a cramped cell that looked nothing like her bedroom.

_Where am I!? What is this place!?_

But before Zelda had anything close to an answer, she had to deal with the dawning sensation of _change_. She was…bigger. Heavier. Even sitting she felt taller.

Zelda looked down at her body and saw that she was shirtless. Instinctively, she threw her hands over her chest…but there was nothing to cover.

At first, the thought was unobtrusive. It came almost as acceptance. _I’m a boy_. A tentative hand towards her cotton trousers confirmed the impossible truth.

The truths keep coming, one after another in a single, unbroken song. A look out her window told her she was in Castle Town, the blue and white towers that lined the horizon just beyond her cell. The shock made her cry out. Was this a dream? It didn’t matter!

Searching the sleeping cell – which contained little more than a desk and a dresser – Zelda found a plain tunic, some trousers and a pair of leather boots to put on, though even that was tricky in this monstrous body she’d been given. Zelda was not only a boy, but she was also some kind of fighter, living in a garrison. The clothes in the dresser told her that much. When she descended from the sleeping cell to the first floor of the building, she finds a dining hall full of other boys like her. They were chatting loudly over their breakfast, goading each other or sending insults flying across the table. When they saw her, they cheered.

“Sleepyhead!” one cried.

“You’ve got your belt on wrong,” laughed another.

“Come eat, Link!” a third waved her over.

“L-Link?” Zelda mouthed, but no one heard, and she was dragged clunky body and all to the table.

And then the truths came in bruises. Wraithe-like and silent from the shock (though no one seemed to mind), Zelda inhabited the body of this strange  _Link_  for the rest of the day. She attended the morning run around the garrison grounds with the rest of the boys, followed by history lessons, lessons on the laws of Hyrule, arithmetic and then more running, and when her body felt just about ready to give out, the real work began.

When the dulled sword was put in her hand, she nearly shrieked. _Fighting drills_ , it was called.

“What’s wrong with you today, Link?” one of her fellow students teased. She had learnt that his name is Nell, but little else besides. “You seem like a different person.”

In a voice that wasn’t her own, Zelda was strangely defiant. Maybe it was the stronger body or the deeper voice. “I am not!” she cried. “I’m…I’m totally normal!”

“Whatever you say, small fry,” Nell said with raised brows. He lifted his sword and shield, widening his stance. “Go easy on me then.”

Zelda lifted her own sword with surprising ease. “Oh I will, trust me,” she said. Nell would never know the truth of the words.

* * *

It was twilight by the time Zelda stumbled back into the room belonging to Link. She fell onto his creaky bed, and was awash with the sudden smell of another life; it smelt of smoke, of cooked meat, of sweat and leather. That must be what _Link_ smelt like, whoever he was. Rolling over, she pushed his ashen blonde hair from her eyes.

Such a strange dream. Was this what Impa meant by past lives? Zelda thought that perhaps she should leave a message to her past self. _Everything is going to be okay._ No. That was a lie. Her name would do, that way her past self would know that someone was looking out for them in the future.

She found a quill on Link’s desk, next to a diary that must have been his, and wrote her name on his palm.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A section of this chapter was originally in present tense, and has been moved to past tense! This is because it was inconsistent with the rest of the work. The original on tumblr is unmodified however, which is why there is now a discrepancy.


	2. half of you

For Link, mornings have always carried with them a sense of longing, though he isn’t sure what for. Sometimes he will simply long to stay in bed. But even before Link opens his eyes, becoming slowly aware of his chest rising and falling, there it is.

The longing, like a cord tied around a rib, pulling him from his sleep.

Sunlight streamed in through Link’s curtainless window, warming his face. Filtering through with the light was the sound of the bustle of the city beyond, and the wafting aroma of breakfast being made in the dining hall, along with the chatter of his fellow Knight-in-training.

He sat up slowly, pushed his coverlets down to his feet, and lifted his left hand to run it through his messy hair. Something on his palm caught his eye, and he stared at it for a long while, his sleep-addled mind unable to process what he saw.

Written in neat but somewhat shaky hand-writing were five letters: _Zelda_.

The name had smeared a little in his sleep, but it was not an illusion. Link touched the ink and saw it smudge.

Link pawed around for a pen and saw that one was still on his desk, with his diary. He ambled across his room, and grasping the pen, he brought the nib to his palm. This one was a newer invention; it could keep the ink within itself rather than needing an inkwell, like a quill. Link gazed hard at the name. _When did I write this? Who is Zelda?_

The red leather diary on his desk suddenly caught Link’s attention, and the pen fell from his grip. Written in the same writing as the name on his hand was a new entry, the contents entirely alien.

 _I suppose I should write in this too_. _Ran laps in the morning, and then went to History class. I sat with a girl named Selmie, she’s so nice, and strong too! She looked surprised by how much I knew. Then I sparred with a guy named Nell at sword practice. I had no idea what I was doing, but I said I was letting him win so the others would think he’s tough. He seemed to like that._

“ _W-WHAT!?_ ” Link cried. He gripped the diary tight and brought close to his face. “I did what!?”

Dressing in a flash, Link bolted down to the dining hall and was greeted with an unusual sight. The Knight trainees had gathered into a crowd, with Nell at the centre. When they saw Link, they turned and stared.

“Is it true?” one of them asked. “Did Nell really beat you?”

“He couldn’t have,” scoffed another. “Nell doesn’t know what he’s talking about.”

Link felt his stomach drop. Was he still dreaming? When he did not speak, another voice that to defend him.

“I saw it! Nell won fair and square!” Selmie announced, standing amongst the crowd of boys. She went to Link’s side and whispered. “It was kind of you, to let Nell win. You know how he struggles.”

“B-But I didn’t—“

“What are you talking about?” Selmie frowned. “Yesterday afternoon—“

“I don’t remember.”

Selmie gave him a strange look, but then she smiled. She was standing so close, her caramel-coloured hair brushing against Link’s face. He felt himself blush, despite himself.

“Well, see you in class? It’s your favourite!” she teased, giving him a wave as she departed the hall back up to the sleeping cells.

 _Favourite?_ Link didn’t understand. Returning to his own sleeping cell, he found his schedule for the day and groaned.

History. His _least_ favourite.

* * *

The floor was cold today, and Zelda found herself thinking the dreaded words. _This is normal_.

The sight of her arm that greeted her, however, was _not_ normal. Written in scratchy letters, in a hand that seemed to have never used a quill, were the words:

_Who are you? Zelda? WHAT are you?_

Again, Paya was peering at her through her half-open bedroom door. Zelda raised a brow at the staring girl.  “What is it, Paya?”

“Oh! Sorry!” Paya squeaked, retreating a little. “Only…don’t you remember?”

“Remember what?”

“Yesterday! You were looking in the mirror like you’d seen a ghost! And…and…”

Zelda sprang from her rickety old bed and marched over to her adoptive sister. “And!?” she demanded.

Covering her face with her hands, Paya said, “You weren’t wearing your shift!” and with that, she bolted from the doorway.

Zelda threw her arms over her chest and was shocked by the sudden twinge of recognition. _I’ve done this before_. _But…when?_ She sighed, padding across her room to find her uniform. What a way to start the day.

 _Don’t you remember_ , became a familiar phrase after that.

“Well, don’t you?” Claree asked her over lunch. She, Karson and Zelda sat under a tall tree at the edge of their school grounds. “Kiki and those other girls were pretending to prick their fingers on a quill, laughing and pointing at you, and you…you marched over and _took_ the quill, and said ‘Not even my gran uses old stuff like this’”

Mortified, Zelda dove a hand into her pack, and sure enough, the stolen quill was there.

“You forget the best part,” grinned Karson. “You know how we got to have a go with some wooden swords? You beat everyone there, Zelda, _including_ teach!”

“I did what?!” Zelda shrieked. A flash of memory came back to her; the bruises on her arms and shoulders, given to her by a wooden sword. “But I’m terrible at it!”

Karson just laughed, giving her a burly pat on the back. “We were both there. It was amazing! Don’t you remember?”

After school, Zelda practically ran home, not even bothering to wait for Paya. She barrelled into her room and found on her desk a notebook she had left there. Single-minded, tore through through the pages, she found what she had been dreading; handwriting that was not her own.

_Village is called Kakariko. Mountains somewhere (like all old villages)._

_‘Zelda’. Lives at an old temple. Paya – younger girl. Impa – grandma. Zelda not related to them? Parents?_

_Learning about Knights in class. Something I actually know about. Everyone got to practice with wooden swords. Disarmed everyone, even the teacher. Finally feel normal again._

_It’s nice here. Peaceful. ‘Zelda’ lives a nice life._

* * *

Link thumbed the braided cord at his wrist. Zelda worried the cord that secures her hair. Racking their brains, they tried their best remember. 

In the halls of the Knight Academy, Selmie stopped Link to thank him for his help in History class. “Why have you been hiding all this stuff you know? It’s like you’re…a temple worker or something!”

In the Temple of Time, Paya watched her adopted sister feed the koi. “Grandmother is worried about you. Your dancing has been kind of weird, like a...like a swordfighter or something!”

In the dancing hall, Impa was practising a recitation. _We exist all at once, connected by the Song, bound together in ways we cannot count._  

At once, Link and Zelda blurted out the words.

“No! Impossible!”

Link ran back to his diary. Zelda ran back to her notebook. They flipped through the pages, finding the phantom entries, written in a stranger’s hand.

But it was not a stranger’s hand. It was hand they know well.

“It cannot be!”

At once, they recalled the vivid dreams, and the patches of darkness within their own memories, where entire days were lost.

“That girl, Zelda—“  
“That boy, Link—“

_In those dreams, are we… **switching places!?**_

* * *

_Link,_

_I’ve figured it out. I think you have too, since people say I’ve been more ‘normal’ lately. I don’t like this phenomenon any more than you do, so let’s just get through it together!_

_I’ll write down everything I do when I’m you, and you do the same. I’m also going to write out some ground rules. If you don’t follow these…I will find a way to make you pay!_

_\---_

_Zelda,_

_How come I can’t break your rules, but you can break mine! The Master-At-Arms had me running double laps today because you skipped Sword Practice to go wondering around Castle Town. _

_\---_

_I’ve never been to Castle Town, let me do a bit of sightseeing. Anyway if I go to Sword Practice people give me funny looks for losing. And speaking of Sword Practice, stop challenging boys at my school to duels!_

_\---_

_You should learn to fight. I hear there are more moblins in the mountains. What if you get attacked, and I’m not you, what then?_

_\---_

_I’m a temple priestess, and even I’m not that superstitious. _

_Link, when I said learn to talk to girls, I meant as you, not me. How come people keep asking me for battle stories? And sword fighting lessons!?_

_\---_

_Well, it turns out the other girls love hearing about monsters from a temple priestess. I’m making you friends._

_\---_

_While I’m busy doing your homework. Not that Selmie minds. She was very grateful to have me help her with history again. I think she likes you._

_\---_

_What am I gonna do when you’re not me, and she wants help?_

_\---_

_I don’t know. She’s the only girl in the Academy, how hard can it be to talk to her?_

_\---_

_You’re hardly popular yourself!_

_\---_

_How many friends do you have?_

_\---_

_I’m happy the way things are!_

_\---_

_And so am I!_

* * *

Link woke to the quiet of the countryside and sighed. A smile flickered on his face. _I’m Zelda today_.

The switches had been occurring for about a month, and soon became a familiar rhythm. Link found himself not minding so much when he woke to hear the rustle of leaves by her window rather than the rattle of carts and the chatter of his Knights-in-training by his.

He sat up and placed his hands on Zelda’s stomach. It was grumbling. _Did you skip dinner again? I told you not to do that._ Link knew from the way her friends reacted to his fumbling attempts to look presentable as Zelda that she was very particular about her appearance. Perhaps it was because she was a temple acolyte, and had to perform at festivals, or that her dad was the village elder.

 _I think you look fine the way you are now_. Link considered writing that in Zelda’s notebook, but he decided against it.

This morning, it was Impa who came to wake him. She wasn’t dressed in her typical priestess garb but rather in pants and a tunic and was carrying a walking cane.

“We’re going soon, put on your boots today. Paya made breakfast, it’s in the kitchen,” Impa told him. She closed his door before he could ask where they were going.

Surmising that he was not going to Zelda’s school today, Link found in her dresser some warm pants, a comfortable cotton tunic and a heavy cloak to wear over the top, as well as the boots Impa spoke of. He took extra care to tie up Zelda’s hair today as well, tying a blue braided cord around the ponytail. Even if he had no idea what he was doing, he decided to try his best. _I know she’s doing the same._

Sure enough, the plan for the day was to hike into something Impa called The Lost Woods, to make an offering to Hylia. A month ago Link might have scoffed at the idea of paying tribute to the silent Goddess, but he now thought it quaint. He supposed that it was worthwhile paying their thanks, especially since the village was so peaceful. When he said as much to Paya, she only raised her brows at him.

“You sound so sincere,” she said, her cheeks going red. “Are you teasing me?”

Link laughed and looped an arm around hers as they walked. “I’m not, little sis,” he said with a smile.

The journey into the Lost Woods took most of the morning, and Impa passed the time by lecturing the girls on why they were making this trip.

“Kakariko Village was once connected with the Royal Family, but since the end of the monarchy a few hundred years ago, we have been forgotten,” she looked to Zelda. “The Hylians in the village share the blood of that family, and some say of the Goddess herself. That is why we venerate Hylia when so few others do. For as long as time has been, she has watched over Hyrule. And so _time_ is what we worship.”

Paya wrinkled her nose. “How can you worship time, Grandma?”

Impa pointed to the bag that Link had been given to carry. “The lyres we make, they are not just instruments. And the cords that we decorate them with are not just to look pretty.”

Link reached a hand up to the braided cord he had tied around his ponytail. “So, what are they for?” he asked.  

Impa chuckled. “ _You_ should know, but I suppose Paya might need to be reminded. The cords are time, woven and unwoven, broken and re-joined. The songs we play are the soul’s passage through time. Each person leaves their imprint on the Song, and the soul leaves an imprint on time. When we speak, when we dance, when we sing – that is part of the Song. Even the Knights in Castle Town hear it,” Impa reached down and tapped Paya over her heart. “Hylia gifts us our time. We offer her our souls through song.”

Soon, they reached a hidden shrine, tucked deep within the woods. It was built into the roots of a long dead tree, into which a face had been carved. Outside the shrine, Impa taught them to play a new song – the Song of Time, she called it. Zelda’s lyre was surprisingly easy to play, and so Link learned quickly.

“When you enter the shrine, play the song together, and leave your lyre,” Impa instructed them. “You must if the spirits of this forest will permit you to leave. It is half of your soul.”

“Half of Zelda…” Link murmured to himself, looking down at her lyre.

Once the task was done, they walked back through the woods, emerging at twilight.

“Look!” Paya pointed, running up to the crest of a hill and pointing skywards. “The comet!”

“Comet?” Link asked, following. He looked to the sky and saw it. The first traces of a tailed star, colouring the sky in sparkling hues.

He marvelled at the sight, his mouth hung open. _I've seen this before_. Breaking the spell, Impa placed a hand on his arm. “You’re dreaming, right now, aren’t you?” she smiled. “Thank you for coming with us. I hope you won’t forget, when you—“

* * *

 _Wake up_.

Link's eyes flew open. He was back in his own bed. Twilight had been replaced with the harsh light of morning. When he sat up to find he was again in his own body, he saw tears fall into his lap. _I wasn’t ready_ , he thought. _I didn’t want to leave. Is that why?_

“Wake up!” The words came through the door, pulling him back into his ordinary life.

“What is it!?” Link called out.

“You don’t remember!?” Nell burst into the room. “You and Selmie. It’s our day off, and _you_ asked _her_ if you could meet up to study for the test tomorrow!”

In shock, Link blinked at his friend. “What like a--?”

“Like a date!” Nell cried.

Link sprang from bed. _Zelda!_ _What have you done!?_


	3. tailed star

_I am myself today_.

Zelda blinked back the tears that accompanied her waking thought. Listless, she threw back her covers, planted her feet and stood to meet the day.

Before the strange phenomenon with Link, she would dread waking. It meant another day in the dreary Kakariko Village, with its still-water lake and sedate people. It meant another day as an acolyte in the empty Temple of Time, with its lost history and silly customs.

But, it was different now. Now, Zelda might wake up as Link, and spend a day at the Castle Town garrison, surrounded by his laughing, cheerful friends. Or she might return to her own body and spend a day determining whatever mischief Link had been up to. Sometimes Zelda was impressed by what he managed to accomplish. In her absentia, he somehow made her life more exciting.

In fact, she had meant to thank him of all things; his antics at school had made things easier. He stood up to anyone who called her a _weirdo temple maiden_ or teased her for being the Elder’s daughter. He showed off ‘her’ sword fighting skills, and bragged about all the amazing things ‘she’ had seen in Castle Town. Zelda’s classmates didn’t just think she was cool – they respected her, and it was all because of him.

 _But today, I am just Zelda_. Seeking out the note Link had left her from the day before, Zelda felt a longing, holding fort at the edge of her perceptions. It reached out, tugging gently, waiting to be recognised. Zelda did her best to ignore it, but could not.

Tears welled as she read his writing, though she could not help but laugh too. Link had managed his usual, aforementioned mischief. He first wrote about helping Claree drum up the courage to ask Karson to the Festival of Hylia, before apologising for the bruise left on her arm. _Karson got a bit enthusiastic in a duel_. Lifting her sleeve, Zelda rubbed the small, purple blot and smiled. Her muscles ached pleasantly; Link was making her stronger too.

Wiping away her tears, Zelda dressed, tied her hair, and went through her daily rituals with mechanistic detachment. She didn’t want to think about what today was, or what it meant. It was until she was alone with her koi fish, feeding them their breakfast, that she allowed her mind to cross the mountains and fields to Castle Town.

Link would be on his date with Selmie soon.

Zelda gladly imaged his shock and fury at _her_ antics in setting up the date. She had hoped somehow that she might be permitted on more day in his body, so that she could go instead of him. Or that somehow, she could just be there as herself.

But, it was not to be. As mystical a phenomenon as her body-swapping with Link was…it could not grant her the only thing she yet wanted.   

Zelda looked down into the koi pond and saw tears falling into the water. _We’ll both see the comet soon_ , she thought to soothe herself, but it did little to help.

* * *

“Are you bringing anyone to the festival, Zelda?”

Blinking twice, Zelda looked down at her adopted sister and tilted her head to the side. “Hm?”

Paya went a shade of cherry red. “I just thought…you’ve been so different lately,” the Sheikah girl brought her pale hands to her face. “I thought it was a boy!”

“A boy!?” Zelda cried, it being her turn to blush. She walked faster as if to run from the line of questioning. “It’s not!”

The conversation ended there. When Paya caught up, they walked to school in silence.

The journey took them past the festival grounds, which were not far from the Temple of Time, in a wide main street large enough to hold stalls and some space for performances. The night after next would be the annual Festival of Hylia, and happened this year to fall on the night that the comet would be brightest. This had caused a big buzz in Kakariko, and Paya and Zelda had been working overtime to make braided cords in the colours of the comet-tail. Not that either of them minded – the more the Temple sold before the festival, the more they would have to spend on treats and food on the night. Impa had mercifully given them the night off for their hard work, and so neither was expected to perform.

Zelda had wanted to ask Link if a similar festival occurred in Castle Town. She hadn’t heard of anything, but then again, the memories of her time as him were always fuzzy once she had awoken. Details were lost, names became hard to recall. If someone asked Zelda _where_ in Castle Town Link lived, she could not say. She supposed Link would have the same trouble remembering exactly where _she_ lived since there were many small villages in Hyrule.

 _If he wanted to find me, he might never have the chance_.

As Zelda and Paya neared Kakariko Village School, she could not strike the thought from her mind.

 _What if he forgets me? What if I never get to be him again?_ They had tried sending letters, but somehow they were never delivered. Castle Town was only a few hours ride. How many garrisons could there even be in the city?

“Paya, I’m going out for a bit,” Zelda said once they reached the school. “I’ll be home by evening.”

“What!? Where are you going?”

Zelda was unsure what to say, but could not lie to Paya. “Um, Castle Town?”

“Why!?”

“Uh…a date! I’ll be home by tonight!”

The Sheikah girl’s moon-like eyes somehow grew wider. To shocked to speak, she did not protest as Zelda turned, and ran towards the town stables.

* * *

Zelda’s note played in Link’s mind during the entire dash from the Castle Town garrison to the Central Square.

_You’re to meet Selmie at the Central Fountain at 10:00 sharp!_

It was now 10:05. Maybe Zelda could have picked noon. Or night time. Or never.

_I was pretty sneaky, I managed to put in a request for a day off on the same day that she did._

Link thought temple acolytes were meant to be honest people. Though admittedly, it was an impressive feat, going behind someone’s back while also _being_ that person.

_Bring your books, Hero, you two are meant to be ‘studying’, but you don’t have to leave it at that ;)_

He would get Zelda back for this, Link decided. Somehow. He’d do something girls hated. _Like…cutting her hair!_ Link chided himself immediately. That was unspeakably cruel.

Arriving at the Central Square, Link doubled over by the fountain to catch his breath. He had to admit it, even half a world away, Zelda had him beat.

“Well, there you are!” came a cheerful voice above him. Selmie was silhouetted by the sun as she smiled down at him, her auburn hair loose and hung about her shoulder. Link leapt to his feet, quickly slapping his palms together.

“Sorry! For being late!” he said, but Selmie just laughed.

“It was my own fault, I was early,” she assured him, though she gave him a strange look, taking in the casual outfit he had thrown together in his hurried effort to get ready. Selmie, by comparison, was outfitted neatly in a long mauve dress, with Hylian triangles patterned along the hem. She was carrying a heavy yellow bag, no doubt filled with books, and Link offered to carry it along with his.

As they walked to a nearby park, Link looked up at the sky, remembering the rest of Zelda’s note;

_I wanted to go on this date, to be honest. But I know it will be you, so you better enjoy yourself, Link. Don’t forget, by the end of the day, the comet should be brightest!_

That last line confused him; Link hadn’t heard of a comet. That said, he wasn’t one for following the news anyhow, being so caught up in his training. Perhaps he just hadn’t heard about it.

“We should make sure we can see the sky,” he told Selmie as they sat down under a large willow tree. “For the comet.”

Selmie’s ordinarily full, smiling face fell entirely blank, and she blinked at him as if he had spoken in tongues. “Comet?”

“Nevermind.”

Zelda must have been mistaken. Link reached into his bag and fished out his notes, flipping through the pages. There was a big round of exams coming up soon, and the Knights-to-be would need to pass them all to move onto the last stage of their training. Link needed this ‘study date’ more than he had realised.

As morning turned to afternoon, Link and Selmie sat quizzing each other, with Selmie acing every question and Link barely managing to answer one. But every time he stumbled, she laughed, and said, “You’re so funny,” as though he had meant it.

How was it possible to feel like an imposter in his own body? What he wouldn’t give to have Zelda here to answer the questions for him!

At last Selmie announced she was hungry, and Link gladly put away their books, practically stuffing them into his bag. He bought them both lunch from a bakery in the Central Square – a thick roll with ham and lettuce, and an apple each. Sitting together by the fountain, their conversation turned from study to their families, and then their plans, and dreams. Selmie’s parents had died when she was young, leaving only herself and her younger brother. She wanted nothing more than to graduate so that she could start saving for him to move to the city.

“Where does he live?” Link asked.

“A little village in the mountains,” Selmie answered, a far-off look in her eyes.

“Oh, I know someone from there.”

“From Hebra?”

“No…I don’t think so?” Link muttered, biting his lip as he tried to remember. “Somewhere else? I really should know, I’m sure _she_ doesn’t forget…”

Selmie raised a brow at him. “You’re different, today,” she frowned but said nothing more.

The afternoon began lazily to wane, the bright sun on the cobbled streets of Castle Town turning golden, and then orange and ochre red. Walking Selmie back to the garrison, Link found himself looking up at the sky once more. Selmie followed his line of sight and then sighed.

“Are you thinking of someone?” she asked. Link startled, but before he could answer, Selmie said, “It’s okay, I understand. Well, I’ll see you at training, Link.”

With little more than a wave, Selmie disappeared up to her room in the garrison. Link fought to urge to bury his face against the wall. _Zelda would have known what to do,_ he thought sadly. Still cringing, Link thumbed the cord at his wrist, feeling the bumps in the thread under his thumb. Inside, the garrison was bustling with activity, as dinner time neared and the Knights-to-be began to gather in the hall. Before joining them, Link stepped out onto the street and looked one last time to the sky. Maybe now the comet would be visible. Knowing that both he and Zelda would be able to see it cheered him.

But there was no comet in sight, only the clear, dark sky. Even full of stars, it was impossibly empty.

* * *

One thread, two threads, three. Over and under, forming a beautiful, intricate knot. Impa tied the sash onto Zelda’s traditional Sheikah dress and stepped back to admire her work.

“You look beautiful,” she smiled. “Your mother…I’m sure she would have been so proud.”

The mention of her mother set Zelda into another glum mood. “Will Father be there tonight, do you think?” she asked.

“He is much too busy. I believe he and the other elders are meeting in his house. I will take Paya to with me, to call on him. It is important that he remembers the work we do here…even if he cares little for it. You just go and have fun with your friends.”

With that, Impa gave Zelda a gentle kiss on the forehead and appraised her with solemn eyes. “Whatever you’re feeling will pass dear, believe me.”

For a moment, Zelda wondered if Impa _knew_ what had been happening to her. It did not matter; even if she did, she could not help.

Walking alone to the festival grounds, Zelda kept her eyes on the ground. She could not look up, _would_ not look up. The thought of seeing the sky – the sky that _he_ would be seeing – was too much.

In any case, there was something to distract her from her melancholy; her friends. Claree and Karson had come to the festival together and were sitting on a bench near the long row of stalls, both dressed in traditional garb as Zelda was. Karson was complaining about having to work at his father’s construction site again when Zelda approached. He stopped mid-sentence when he saw her, mouth twitching from shock. Claree soon joined in, her hands flying to her face.

“Z-Zelda!” she stammered.

“Your hair!” Karson finished. And then, in unison;

“ _What happened_!?”

Zelda chucked softly, twirling a finger between a lock of hair that now fell only as far as her shoulders. “I lost my braided cord, so I had Impa cut it for me.”

“Wha--? But, Paya told me you went to Castle Town yesterday? You didn’t cut it there?”

 _No, I went to find Link_ , Zelda almost told them, but decided against it. She didn’t want to cry in front of her friends. Maybe tomorrow, she would tell them what happened in Castle Town. Or, maybe not.

“Anyway, I'm hungry,” announced Claree. “Should we take a look through the festival?”

“Aw, I wanna see the comet,” Karson whined.

“You can still see it, dummy, it’s in the sky,” Claree chided.

Zelda reached forward, and took one of her friends’ hands in each of her own, leading them both away from the bench. “Come on then, let’s go see it together,

Claree relented, and the trio walked to a hill at the edge of the grounds. Zelda finally permitted herself to look up, and when she did, she gasped.

“Claree, Karson, look!” she said, running to the hill’s crest. “It must have split!”

From behind, her friends cried out in awe. The comet was no longer a single, shining light but _two_ , a small piece having broken off. 

The second piece seemed poised directly for Kakariko, burning bright red as it descended. Zelda reached out, and for a single suspended moment, she felt she could touch it.  

* * *

One week went by, and then a second, and then a third. Each day, Link woke as himself.

He patted down his decidedly flat, unfeminine body, and frowned. Was this the end of the phenomenon? Were he and Zelda free of each other? The thought gave him pause. No, it could not be.

Scrambling from bed, Link went to his desk to memorise the note he had written down. He didn’t want to forget it, in case he woke up as Zelda sometime soon. It read;

_The date went terribly, just so you know. But Selmie and I are still friends._

_I’m almost done with my training, only another year. I passed all my tests, thanks in most part to you. I was thinking, once I was done, maybe I could come visit. It wouldn’t have to be long, and we wouldn’t even have to meet! I just wanted to thank you. I like your town. I want to see it with my own eyes I guess._

Link had written ‘your town’ because he couldn’t remember now what it was called. It was so frustrating, being able to remember so little of somewhere he had ‘been’ so often. At first, Link wasn’t sure if he wanted to leave this message, but each passing day without swapping made him bolder. He wanted to see Zelda’s home, he wanted to see _Zelda,_ even for just one day. _Just one more day_.

The thought had festered, and now it was everywhere to him. He heard Zelda’s name in the street, he saw her fish in the fountains throughout Castle Town, and he smelled the grass and earth of her home on the wind.

And as luck would have it, the winter break for the Knights began this very morning. Link would have an entire two weeks free to do whatever he liked. His first acts of freedom the night before had been to pack provisions for travel, and to hire a horse. He hadn’t told a single person. For two weeks, he would disappear, and no matter if he found Zelda or not, he would return to Castle Town knowing he had tried.

Selmie and Nell were waiting for him outside the garrison just as he was preparing to leave. They had their own horses, and they too were dressed for travel.  

“You really thought we’d let you go off on your own?” Nell grinned as he helped Selmie mount her horse.

“But -- how did you know?!” Link demanded, caught off guard by their sudden appearance.  

“Nell figured it out,” said Selmie, unphased. “Well, where’re you planning?”

Link scratched the back of his head. He’d thought to just _go_ , to all the mountains he could think of. All he remembered of the village was that it was in ‘the mountains’ and it was built around a crater-shaped lake. The description rang no bells for either Selmie or Nell, and so they set off without any real plan or direction.

“So, we’re looking for a girl or a town?” Selmie questioned.

“Both.”

“But you don’t know what it’s called?” Nell chimed in.

“I just forgot. I know when we find it.”

“ _How_?” Nell pressed, but Link shot him an angry glare, and the matter was left there. He supposed Selmie and Nell were just happy to get away from Castle Town after their gruelling last few months of training. Or maybe they pitied him. _I can’t fault them there,_ Link grumbled.

The journey took them as far west as Hebra, to Lake Totori and the Village of the Rito hidden there. They described the village to all who would listen, but even the well-travelled Rito recollected nothing.

Next, they headed south, in the hopes that the sea-faring Faronites might know, but still nothing. And then they made east, for Necluda, stopping in Hateno before their plan to make north for Lanayru and, Goddess-forbid, Akkala. Thankfully, however, an old couple in the Hateno Inn recognised the description.

“My dear,” said the older woman. “You don’t mean Kakariko Village do you?”

 _Kakariko Village_ … _Kakariko Village_ …

“Yes, that’s it!” Link half cheered, and the old couple exchanged a forlorn look. Even Nell and Selmie looked shocked.

Link didn’t understand.

“You really don’t remember?” Selmie whispered.

The old man led them on foot from Hateno into the mountains, and Link noted that the paths into Kakariko looked run down, and overgrown. After half a day of walking, the town came into view as they reached the crest of a vast, circular valley. The ground suddenly sloped away from them, leading down over tiers in the valley to a pair of lakes. They were overlapping, with one larger than the other, and their waters full and shining under the afternoon sun.

“This is it,” Link muttered, but what he saw was not the village from his dreams. The smaller lake was surrounded by rubble and half-destroyed homes. Wrecked boats dotted the shore. The ground looked as though it had been upturned – as though it had simply exploded outwards. Kakariko Village was an empty ruin. The town was dead.

Selmie and Nell clutched each other as they took in the horrific sight. The old man was weeping.

“How could she live here, Link?” Selmie asked breathlessly. “Kakariko was abandoned after the meteorite, three years ago!”

Looking around, Link realised they were standing on the school grounds, where he, Claree and Karson had sat uncountable times.

“She did live here,” Link answered. “I know she did.”

No words could undo what he saw.

 _Who are you?_ He asked the empty town, and the girl he once knew. _What happened to you_?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter ended up being longer than I expected, and I've had to push this out to 5 chapters. I thought this fic would be a rush job, but I'm loving it so much that I'm writing way more than I planned! Hope you enjoy :)


	4. evoking memories

The sight of Castle Town came first, and then the smell! Towers like darts lined the horizon, black and nearly shapeless, but they were nothing against that haunting aroma. Baked bread, cooked meat, and spices and salts, but also manure and sweat, and perfumes of citrus and summer flowers.

Zelda rode open-mouthed through the city gates, atop her mare taken from the stables of Kakariko Village. After four hours of solid riding, both she and the horse were exhausted, but Zelda did not feel it, and the mare did not show it. Perhaps they were both in awe of the city unfolding before them. 

In a dutiful canter, the mare carried Zelda down a large main street paved with huge cobblestones and lined in its entire length with shops and buildings and people. It vanished towards venerated Hyrule Castle in the north, a magnificent building decorated on every tower with flags of navy, gold, and white. For a moment, Zelda forgot why she had come to Castle Town in the first place. As the wonder began to fade, the remembering made her throat go dry.

Could they meet? Would he recognise her? Would she recognise him?

She had to. Link could have a stranger’s face, but still Zelda would recognise it. She knew his soul like he knew hers. She knew his very existence, for she had lived it.

But…in a city this big, Zelda didn’t even know where to begin! Link was a Knight-in-Training, at a local garrison. She supposed she could start there.

As the day dragged on, Zelda walked and walked. She had left her horse at a stable near to the Castle Town gates, not wanting to tire it before their ride home. Alone, yet _surrounded_ by the people of the town, Zelda went everywhere and anywhere familiar. Three garrisons she visited, unsure which exact one belonged to Link, but none were what she remembered. Knights passed her by, as did trainees. Their faces were blank.

Her hope fading, Zelda enquired with a nearby shopkeeper how many garrisons were in Castle Town, and was delighted to find there was one last one. It was in the east corner of the city and housed the most squires. Through the streets Zelda ran, the pain in her feet forgotten, until she reached the austere garrison tucked away at the edge of Castle Town. It was almost bold in its practicality; two stories high, with a flat roof, built from colossal granite blocks. On its façade was a single, oaken door, carved with the symbol of the People’s Kingdom of Hyrule. This was it, this was the place. Zelda felt compelled to push that huge door open, and step inside.

But she did not. Fear constricted her tight, and she could not move. For nearly twenty minutes Zelda stood outside staring at the door. She could hear sounds from inside but no voices. The air began to cool, and Zelda realised the sun was setting. _This is silly_ , she grumbled. _If I don’t go soon, I won’t be home until midnight!_

Her sulking was interrupted by a bell, and a minute later, a horde of footsteps heralded a stream of young men and women pouring out of the garrison. They looked to be young trainees, wearing tunics vaguely like the one she wore as Link.

Zelda strained her eyes, scanning the faces, hanging back as the bodies filed past her. They moved too quickly, it was too hard to see, even if he was—

“Don’t you wish we could stay?”

“You know we can’t, only the older squires get rooms here. What would we stay for?”

Zelda felt her breath hitch.  Two Knights-in-training had come to the doorway. They appeared to be the last ones out, for none followed. One was tall and broad, with short-cropped brown hair. The other, short, but strong, with ashen blonde hair tied into a ponytail. He shrugged, and said,

“I dunno, Nell, it’s just more convenient.”

“Convenient? Your father is a Knight, you live just nearby to the garrison.”

“Maybe I just want to live somewhere else.”

Zelda was pulled forward. Her feet carried her in light, needing steps towards him. She thought of nothing and no one else.

Marching right up to that door, Zelda planted her feet and smiled at the two squires with full cheeks. 

They stared at her wordlessly. Zelda realised she had not thought of what to say. She did not let her smile fall, but hesitated. The squires stared.

“Can we help you?” asked the taller one, raising his nose at her. Zelda did not even look at him, unblinking eyes fixed on his companion.  

“Link,” she said softly. “It’s me!”

The other squire blinked twice, and then blushed, bringing a hand awkwardly to the back of his neck. With a bemused look, Nell pushed past them both out into the street. He was almost swallowed up by the steady stream of merchants and workers walking through the city to their homes, now that trade was done. Zelda looked back to who she _thought_ was Link and knew something was wrong. He seemed…younger. Their eyes were level, yet Link had always felt taller.

“It’s…it’s me!” Zelda repeated urgently, but Link just frowned.   

“I’m sorry…?”

Her face fell, and she felt a sinking feeling deep in her stomach. It was him, it had to be. And yet...

In a tiny, heartbroken voice she said, “Don’t you remember me?”

The squire shook his head.  

“Are we going, Link? The others wanna go for stew, Kee’s father might let us into the tavern!” came Nell’s callously impatient call.

“I’m sorry,” the squire said again. He stepped past Zelda as though she was no one, and was gone.

Zelda could not even watch him leave. She stared at the door in a haze, her mouth bobbing open and closed. The pain that twisted through her chest almost made her gasp, until, from the street, she heard his voice again.

“Wait – who are you?”

The squire had turned back. He was standing at the edge of the moving crowd, and on his face was, if not pity, then a sliver of understanding. That was the face Zelda knew.

 _We exist all at once_ , came Impa’s voice in her mind. _Joined by the thread._

Her hands went to her head, swiftly undoing the braided cord tied there. Hair spilling to her shoulders, Zelda raced forward and tossed the cord toward Link.

It arced between them, the blue and white thread shining in the dusk light.

“My name is Zelda!"

And Link caught it deftly, wrapping it between his fingers. Without another word, he disappeared in the crowd.

Zelda was alone once again; just her, and the garrison, and the door. She looked up to the sky, thinking sadly that she would have to ride half of the night to get home, and saw that the comet was finally visible.

* * *

The book was heavy, unfeeling. Its cover was black, four terrible words monogrammed into the leather.

_Kakariko Village Disaster – Victims_

Link sat alone in the Hateno Village Mayor’s Office, where the tome had been housed. The mayor had been reluctant to search for it, but Link had lied and said he had relatives who lived there. Weary, he opened the book and began to read. Nell and Selmie were out buying some dinner; Link had sent them away, wanting to be alone.

The book was dated three years ago. Whatever the dreams had indeed been, Link did not have his at the same time as Zelda. They were out of step, out of time.

As explained in the first chapter, a comet had passed over Hyrule, one not seen for over a millennium. At its brightest, the comet split, and a small chunk fell towards Kakariko Village. The impact site was a hill near to the village’s Temple of Time, where the residents had gathered for a festival. Over half of the population were killed instantly, and dozens more in the aftermath. The town was abandoned.

Link read the names of those killed. Some sparked a sense of nostalgia, telling him that his dreams had been real. So too then, was Zelda. 

And there she was. Towards the end of the book, tucked in neatly between her father, and her adoptive sister.

_Zelda Bosphoramus, Seventeen._

Shuddering, Link shut the book. He heaved long, withered breaths, and after what felt like hours, he found the strength to wipe his eyes. Guilt was rich within him, hot and angry and clawing through his veins. _Could I have warned her? Could I have saved her?_

Nell and Selmie found him on the floor of the mayor’s office, still shaking from his grief. They took him to a nearby inn, and practically spooned stew into his mouth, but thankfully did not press him with questions. Eventually, Nell whispered to Selmie that he would be heading to bed.

“I shouldn’t have made you come with me,” Link muttered once Nell was gone.

“You didn’t make us do anything.”

“Still, you probably think I’m crazy.”

Selmie stirred the last dregs of her stew, mulling over his words. Eventually, she said, “I admit, I don’t understand. But whoever you are grieving…they changed you,” she reached forward and took his hand, running a thumb over his wrist. “I’m sad we never got to meet her.”

Giving his hand a squeeze, she noticed the braided cord wrapped around his wrist. A smile – pleasant and curious – prickled her lips. “Oh, what’s this? I’ve never noticed it before.”

Link drew his hand away and fiddled with the clasp that held the cord in place. “I wear it sometimes, as a good luck charm,” he explained. The blue and white cord stirred a fondness within him, and Link could not help but tell Selmie more. “Someone once told me that the cord is time, woven and unwoven, broken and re-joined. There are songs too. The cord is time, and the song is our soul’s passage through it.”

“That’s beautiful. You sound like a temple priest.”

Link’s eyes went wide, and he jolted upright in his chair. He heard a voice, sweet, and pure, no more than a whisper; _Don’t you remember me?_

“The temple…” he murmured, and then the memory burst. “The Shrine!”

He leapt to his feet, his chair legs screeching underneath him. “Look after Nell, and don’t wait for me. I’ll meet you in Castle Town.”

“Wait, what? Where are you going?” Selmie stood as well, chasing after him, but Link was already halfway out the inn. There was no time to answer.

* * *

All night, Link walked. Once he reached Kakariko, his memory, or perhaps his instinct, told him to go east.

In the moonlight, he collected faint pieces of familiarity. A stream once crossed, the slope of a hill, the sound of little Paya’s voice, asking the question; _How can we worship time_? Link came upon a hill and knew it was the one where he and Paya had stood, the day that they had come to the shrine with Impa. The little Sheikah had pointed to the sky, speaking of a comet. The evidence of its arrive was laid bare, visible from the peak of the hill. From there, Link could see Kakariko, in all its broken splendour, the twin lakes a serene reminder of the tragedy that had occurred. He turned his back to the town and pressed into the forest. Deeper and deeper through the trees he travelled, as around him the dawn rose and bathed the woods in a rose-coloured light.

At last, Link came to a clearing, where he saw an enormous, dead tree, and a small, ancient shrine built into its bark.

“It was real,” he breathed. “All of it was real!”

Link hurried into the shrine, and in the small, dark cavern within, he found two lyres. One wrapped with blue cord, and one wrapped in red; Zelda’s lyre and Paya’s. He took Zelda’s in hand, and his fingers began to mime the pattern of a song…he felt them drawn to the string. Impa had taught them to play…the song was part of Zelda’s soul.

_The Song of Time!_

Link brought his fingers to the string, and spoke, though he was not sure who to, “You told me time could be unwoven…then give me one last chance.”

With clarity and purpose, Link played the song that Impa had taught him. At first, nothing happened. Dejected, he returned the lyre to its place. And then, standing to leave the shrine, he stumbled, and careened over, as though pulled backwards by a string unseen. When he hit the ground, his world dissolved.

* * *

_Time exists all at once, and it unfolds to the watcher._

_He is a boy with ashen hair, a boy with Knight’s blood, a boy from Castle Town._

_He sees flashes of the life of another; a different soul, but one he is paired with, inextricably. There is a string tied around his rib, linked inwardly to hers._

_A baby girl is born, to a golden-haired woman, and her imposing husband. “A little girl, Rhoam,” the woman says. "What should we call her?"_

_“She is Zelda. She must be,” the man answers._

_The watcher tumbles through the tapestry. He comes upon a family, sitting together in the Temple of Time. The baby Zelda is a little child now, and along with her family, she offers prayers to the Goddess Hylia. They are pressed in close, a single, unbreakable unit. Behind them is an older woman and a toddler, both with hair of white. A Sheikah priestess, and her granddaughter._

_On and on the watcher flies, passing through threads interwoven. Around him, the cords snap, and a new scene unfolds. The woman is lying in bed, with her husband and Zelda at her side. The two Sheikah are there too. Everyone is crying, except for Zelda. She holds her mother’s hand and promises to remain strong._

_A flash of fabric; a new chapter. The golden-haired girl and the Sheikah girl sit side-by-side before the priestess, who addresses them with her wrinkled face downturned._

_“Zelda will be living here all the time now, Paya. Her father is very busy, and....being here is difficult for him.”_

_Outside, unseen by the two girls, Zelda’s father listens and furiously dries his tears. His face hardens into marble._

_One last tumble, one final scene; It’s Zelda as the watcher knows her, and now he cries out. He’s never seen her, not truly. In a mirror perhaps, but never with his own eyes. She takes his breath away, yet still he shouts and shouts. Calling her name, begging for her to hear._

_She’s sitting in a chair in front of the priestess, who is cutting her hair._

_Brimming with warmth the old woman says, “A new style, perfect for this festival tomorrow. Hylia is the patron of re-birth, did you know, as well as time?”_

_The watcher screams. “No! Zelda! You need to leave! The comet--!”_

_He’s fading further and further. And Zelda is growing smaller and smaller. She stands and hugs the old woman. “I think I will to the festival after all..."_

_The watcher tries to cry out one last time, but he’s too far away. Zelda is a just a speck on the horizon now; a single point of light._

_It splits in too, burning brighter than the sun._

_And then it is gone._

* * *

Link woke up with a gasp, immediately shooting up, and clambering out of bed. The blanket twisted around his feet, and he tumbled to the floor with it still wrapped around him. What a dream…what a vivid, haunting dream.

He began to unravel the covers, growing vaguely aware that they smelled older, and are heavier and warmer than the standard issue they have in the garrison. Pulling his head free from the blanket, Link was greeted with Zelda’s room.

He blinked twice. The room remained. His eyes shot downwards and saw a cotton night shift, draped loosely over a soft, skinny body. Link threw his arms around himself and hugged so tight it hurt.

“Zelda!” he wept. “You’re alive!”

The door creaked had open. Link turned and saw Paya staring at him, her mouth hung open, single red eye quivering at the sight.

“Paya!” Link cried, crawling across the floor towards her, tears still streaming down his face. “My si-i-ster!”

Paya yelped and in a flash, bolted from the door.  

Drying his eyes, Link was determined to pull himself together. He had one last day. If his instinct served him, this was _the_ day.

Impa caught him outside the temple as he was preparing to head to school to find Karson and Claree. He was looking up at the sky, watching the comet, scowling at it in equal parts fear and disgust.

“Zelda, you haven’t eaten breakfast!” Impa called. “You can’t eat the koi food—"

When Link turned, Impa halted. She spoke in a low, mediated tone, brushing a stray hair from Link’s face. “Oh. You aren’t Zelda, are you?”

At that, Link sprung away from her. “You knew!?”

Impa remained calm, regarding Link now with a certain pensiveness. “I sensed something. Your behaviour and… the _talk_ , of your behaviour, reminded me of something that happened to your mother when she was a girl, and your mother’s mother too. They spoke of dreams, as though they were living someone else’s life.”

“That must be it!” Link said, spinning around to look up at the comet. “The switching! It’s to warn your people about the comet!”

Impa looked at him blankly, her brows furrowed. “Pardon?”

“Listen, take Paya with you and get out of Kakariko. Tonight, that comet will split in two, and a piece will land in Kakariko!”

It was clear that Impa did not believe him. Her hands were on his face again, palming his forehead and cheeks as if to take his temperature. “Are you okay? You went to Castle Town yesterday, and I’ve been worried about you since—”

Link drew back. _Castle Town_. Another memory. A chance encounter, three years ago. A strange girl, with a braided cord in her golden hair. Link pawed at Zelda’s head for it, but the cord was no longer there. With her hair short, she didn’t need it.

_You came to find me. You gave me the braided cord. It was you!_

“I have to go, but Impa, please—”

“Don't trouble yourself, we can talk about this when you get home.”

“There’s no time!” Link cried. He picked up Zelda's satchel and ran down the road towards the school. Already, a plan was forming in his mind. He’d convince someone, even if it was just Claree, or Karson! He had been given one last day as Zelda, one last chance.

And this time, he would save her.


	5. unseen two

Claree brought her hands to her face. Karson went wide-eyed and slammed a fist onto his desk. Around them was the preamble chatter of the students waiting for class to begin. Possibly their last ever, if Link could not evacuate the town.

Eyes still twitching, Claree stammered, “Zelda! Your hair!”

“What did you do!?” said Karson.

Link reached up and twirled one of Zelda’s shortened locks of hair. “Oh yeah,” he muttered. “I liked it better before — anyway, it doesn’t matter!” he slammed his hands dramatically onto the desk. “Tonight the town will be destroyed if we don’t act!”

He’d said it so loud that the whole class stopped to look. Claree had gone a deathly white and Karson was busily waving a hand for her to stop, a finger to his lips.

“I’m serious!” Link cried. He looked around the room. “All of you will die tonight if you don’t—“

There was a hard yank, and Link felt Zelda’s flimsy body being dragged from the classroom. Claree and Karson shoved him into the hall and shut the door with a slam.

“What has gotten into you?!” Claree said.

“You’re makin’ us look crazy!” Karson added

The reality of the situation became real for Link then. His friends were alive, _still_ alive! Only a day ago he’d thought he’d lost them all, and Zelda too. Fighting back tears, Link bundled them both into a tight hug and said, “I need you to believe me. Please. I’ll never ask for anything again!”

Karson and Claree exchanged a tense look, a language shared in their eyes alone, and in unison sighed. Maybe they knew too, like Impa had, that something was changed in Zelda and that her strange behaviour was not a quirk, but a warning. They nodded to each other.

“Tell us what to do.”

* * *

Link, Claree and Karson all gathered behind the school and a tool shed that housed a few reclusive spiders but was otherwise empty. The plan was laid out thus, and they each had a role to play.

At about 9pm that night, a meteorite would strike the Temple of Time and destroy half of the town. So they had ten hours. Karson’s dad — Old Man Bolson — led the small construction company of builders in Kakariko, and the first step was to get into the construction headquarters at the edge of town.

“You want to build a shelter?” Karson asked.

“The exact opposite,” Link grinned. He pointed on the map to the explosives store near the headquarters.

“This is surrounded by forest. If it goes up, there could be a fire!”

Claree’s mouth fell open. “And burn down Kakariko? I thought we wanted to _save_ the town!”

Link shrugged. “It won’t matter tomorrow. Anyway, this is how we save it.”

“That’s—“ Claree looked about to burst. Link gave her a look to remind her of her promise, and she deflated. “Alright. Fine. We start a fire. How are we going to evacuate the town?”

That was where Claree came in. Her mother was the town seamstress and made uniforms for anyone and everyone with a proper job. _Including_ all the town guards. If Claree could steal two guard’s uniforms, she and Karson could begin evacuating everyone from the festival.

“Ohhh…” poor Claree was shaking at the idea of impersonating a soldier. “Fine! I’ll do it! And you, Zelda?”

Link grinned wider. “My father is an Elder!” he said proudly. “The _first_ Hylian elder, so the others will listen to him. I can convince him to evacuate the rest of the town.” He pointed to the large circle he had drawn on the map and labelled _Disaster area_. “The school will be safe, so direct everyone there.

Karson had taken in most of the plan without argument. His face was locked on the map, but finally, he looked up with an excited expression. He balled his fists, and said, “So Claree’s on uniforms, I’m on explosives, and you’re gonna convince your father!”

Claree hurriedly shushed him, the talk of the plan still sending her into a fit of nerves. Link nodded and bundled up the map. “Meet up at my place in four hours. Then we’ll plan the next steps!” He shot his hand forward, palm down and motioned for the others to follow. They each put a hand in, and at that moment, Link was convinced his plan could not fail.

* * *

The House of Elders sat at the very southern tip of Kakariko Village, about a half-turn around the crater-formed lake from Kakariko Village school.

Crater-formed! Of course! Link wasn’t sure how he’d failed to connect the two before – Kakariko Village lake was formed by a crater, and the Lost Woods, they seemed to be at the centre of a depression as well.  So there must be another crater there too. How many times had a meteorite fallen here?

Straightening Zelda’s school uniform, and running a hand through her hair to try and neaten it, Link climbed the stairs leading up to the House of Elders. The building was made in the traditional Sheikah style, with a pagoda roof and sliding doors, similar to Zelda’s house, and the accompanying Temple of Time. These places that her family inhabited, they seemed locked in time, separate from the rest of the relatively modern Kakariko Village. Was her family always destined to live here, and watch over this town? And for what? In only eight hours, a comet would fall and steal it all away. Link tried to lift himself out of his sullen mood; he had hundreds of people to save, and it all hinged on this single conversation.

Link had never met Elder Rhoam as Zelda, though he had seen him a handful of times, out and about in Kakariko speaking with the residents or holding meetings. He had gathered early on that Zelda and her father were not on speaking terms, but seeing her memories had confirmed it. It took all of Link’s willpower not to scowl at the man when they met in Rhoam’s expansive, but sparsely furnished office. The old man did not stand when Link entered, but merely sat back in his chair and stroked his white beard. “What is it, Zelda? I cannot spare much time.”

For a whole ten seconds, Link could not speak. The outward demeanour of Zelda’s father was so cold, so distant that Link became fearful. “I know, F-Father,” he muttered, summoning his courage. “But I have something very serious to tell you.”

Elder Rhoam nodded, though seemed impatient. Link explained as clearly and simply as he could, but with each word, his conviction faded. Rhoam stroked his beard as he listened, never moving or betraying any emotion. Finally, he sighed and pinched his nose.

“I will need to have a word with Impa. All these ancient rituals and teachings of hers, they are mere superstitions. She is filling your head with stories.”

“N-no!” Link cried. “She had nothing to do with this.”

Rhoam was not listening. “Perhaps we should send you to Castle Town, to be seen by a doctor.”

“But I saw it happen! Your whole town will be destroyed, tonight!”

“Wha—? How dare you!” Rhoam stood firmly, standing a whole foot taller than Zelda did, and Link felt dwarfed in body and in spirit. Elder Rhoam sighed a second time, regarding his daughter with scorn. “This behaviour…it must come from your mother’s side. You never got over her death, I see.”

Whatever compelled him to act was lost in the eruption of desperation and fury that Link felt then. He stormed across the room, and seized the old man by the beard, yanking him forward. “You bastard!” he shouted. “ _You_ abandoned her. If she has suffered, it’s because of you!”

As fast as it had come, the flash of anger burned up within him. Link snapped back, horrified.

“Zelda…” Rhoam murmured. “No…who are you? You aren’t her. Get out! Get out, demon, or I will call for my guards!”

Link turned, nearly tripped, and ran from the office without another word. 

* * *

Claree and Karson were waiting by the Temple of Time as planned.

“How’d it go?” Karson plied. Link did not answer, only shrugged and shook his head. His enthusiasm barely dampened, Karson said “It’s okay, we’ll keep going!”

As Link was trying to think of their next move, he saw Paya running along the road towards them, waving, her silver hair fluttering behind her. When she reached them she all but barrelled into Link, and looked up to him with intense curiosity.

“You weren’t at school,” she said. “Are you okay? Grandma is so worried about you…”

Still Link said nothing. He drew Paya in for a hug, but the little Sheikah squirmed from his grip and gave him a pitying look. Link realised then that Karson and Claree, wore the same expression, and his mood became even more despondent than before.

“Could Zelda have convinced him?” he asked no one in particular. “Is it my fault?”

Her child-like innocence taking the question at face value, Paya said, “But _you_ are Zelda, aren’t you? Unless the real Zelda is somewhere else…”

Link gasped, lifted from his stupor by the words. He looked out across the forest, to where he knew the Lost Woods sat only a short hike away. “Are you there?” he whispered, but he already knew the answer. He felt it.

Link began to run, turning only briefly back towards his friends.

“Claree, Karson, get ready as planned. I’ll meet you soon, at the construction company!”

Before the others could answer, Link was gone into the woods.

* * *

_The comet! Look, it must have split!_

She hovered between awake and asleep, the air around her cool, a gentle breeze on her face. Ringing in her ears was a roaring, fiery sound, growing and growing and then…

Silence.

Zelda opened her eyes. The space around her was dark, only a single sliver of light cutting through the room, and found she was in the Shrine of the Lost Woods. The heavy stone door had been left just slightly ajar; otherwise, she would have sat in pitch darkness. She sat up, and immediately knew,

“I’m Link!” her voice echoed in the small shrine. “But…what is he doing here?”

Groggily, Zelda followed her instincts and climbed out of the shrine, and up the hill away from the clearing. She reached the top of the wide, but gently sloped crater formation where the woods sat and raised her hands to cover her eyes from the sun. It was the middle of the afternoon. Strange, she usually woke as Link in the morning.

As the sun cleared from her eyes, and the view from the top of the hill came into focus.

Below was the lake of Kakariko Village. Link was here! In her home! But following close to that realisation was the horrible sight below. The lake was augmented by a second crater and the town…her town…

She dropped to her knees, winded and unable to breathe for some time as she processed what she saw. _It’s gone._  

The moment came in a haze of brilliant flame and searing sound. The night of the festival, watching the comet with Claree and Karson, and then…it had split, and a huge piece came crashing down. She had reached out, enchanted by how close it seemed and then…

_Was that…in that moment…did I die?_

The evidence was plain to see, the destroyed and mangled village only a short walk away from where Zelda stood. She curled her knees into her chest – _Link’s chest –_ and began to sob. Her friends…her family…Paya, Impa, and her father. Were all of them dead? Had any survived?

The sun was beginning to set, the last tendrils of light still above the clouds. Only then did the question occur to her. _If Link is here…then where am I?_

She looked around, scanning the trees of the woods for any movement, but saw nothing. Another breeze rustled the trees, and Zelda felt a presence. Faintly, in her chest, tugging her in a direction unseen. _I am here_ , it said.

“Link!” Zelda shouted, Link’s voice high and fevered and echoing across the wooded crater. “Link! I’m here!”

Whispering back off the trees came the countering call. _Zelda!_

“He’s here!” she gasped. “Link! _Link!_ ”

_Zelda! Where are you?_

There it was again. It was her own voice, but different, the way Link might call for her. Louder and louder it grew. _Zelda!_

“Link!” she shouted back, and this time, felt the presence ever closer. It rushed past her and then stopped. _He’s here_ , Zelda thought, though she could not see him. She reached out, hand pawing the space where his hand might be.

The sun fell behind the clouds, ushering in the twilight. Zelda watched the light go and felt a change. She did not need to look.

 _I am myself again_. _As is Link_.

And there he was. Standing only a few feet away and bathed in the fading light. He was tall! Taller than when she’d last seen him in Castle Town, his hair longer, and dressed now in traveller’s clothes. He smiled, blue eyes brightening.

“Zelda,” he said.

She was in a trance, whimpering in amazement as she stepped towards him. “Link?”

She took another step, reaching out. “Link?” She placed her hands on his chest, feeling the fabric of his tunic, the warmth of his skin and the beating of his heart against her palms. “ _It’s you._ ” Tears rushed down her cheeks. He was here! He was real! And when she met his eye, she could see all the familiarity she had been so desperate for…he knew her. He knew her completely.

“I came to see you,” Link said with a chuckle. “It was difficult, you live so far away!”

“But how? If the comet fell, how are you—“

“I played your lyre. The Song of Time. Impa taught me,” he looked proud at the idea, but Zelda gasped, a palm to her mouth.

“You…you played that!?” she whispered. “Link! That is a…a sacred item! Not just anyone can play it! What if the spirits of the woods rejected you?”

His proud expression fell away. “Wait— those spirits are real—?“

Zelda was not done. “Also Paya said she saw you _naked_!”

“You could have been looking at me every day, and I wouldn’t even know,” Link said, adding petulantly, “Anyway, it was just once!”

“Just once!?”

“Yes! Maybe…” Link scratched the back of his neck, and Zelda kept her gaze on him fierce. He brought his hands together in front of his chest. “I’m sorry.”

There was a blue and white cord around his wrist, held there by a small clasp. Zelda reached forward again, their argument forgotten. “Is that--?”

Link laughed and began to unwind the cord. “Oh yeah, sorry I didn’t recognise you. You were three years early, silly.” He placed the cord in her hands. “Here, I kept it all this time.”

 _Three years!_ So she and Link were out of sync! How hadn’t they noticed? It didn’t matter, he was here now. Happy to be reunited with her cord, Zelda tied it in her hair with a neat bow. “How does it look?” she asked shyly.

Link blushed, chewing his lip. “Well…um…”

“Ahh! You still can’t talk to girls!” Zelda admonished him.

“I’m talking to you, aren’t I? And you’re the most girl I know!”

“ _The most girl?_ ”

Link went even redder under Zelda’s incredulous glare, but not a moment later, they both burst into laughter. Zelda placed a hand on his chest again to steady herself, laughing so hard she was shaking. But beyond that, she simply wanted to stay close and keep sure he was real. They laughed together for a long time until overhead they both spied the comet.

“You still have work to do, Zelda,” Link told her. “But you have time. Claree, Karson and I made a plan.”

Zelda gazed up at him, entranced one again. “You did all that for me?”

“Of course I did,” he shrugged.

The final light of twilight began to fade; it was almost over, and night would fall.

“Hey, Zelda, before you go,” Link took out a pen from his pocket, and Zelda briefly marvelled over the new portable style he carried. “Here, why don’t we write each other’s names, so we don’t forget?”

Link took her hand and scribbled something onto her palm that she did not see. He handed her the pen. With a smile, Zelda took it in hand, and began to write—

_Clink._

The pen dropped to the ground.

Link blinked at the empty space in front of him. “Zelda?” he murmured, but she was gone.

The sun had disappeared, and twilight was over. Looking down on his hand, Link saw that there was a single vertical line, where Zelda had begun to write her name.

“It’s okay, I remember. Zelda. Your name is Zelda. I won’t forget, I promise.”

He picked up the pen and took a final look at the twin lakes below. Whatever happened, he had done his part. _I wanted to tell you – wherever you are in the world, I will find you_.

“Zelda, Zelda, your name is Zelda,” Link repeated. “I won’t forget. Your name is—”

 _Zel…Z…_ The name was fading. In desperation, Link looked down at his hand. The single line was still there, but her name was gone.

“Who are you?” he called out to the town. “Someone dear to me. Someone I didn't want to forget. I wanted you to be alive! I wanted to save you! Who were you… _What was your name!?”_

* * *

His name became a song.

 _Link. Link. Your name is Link_.

Step by step, foot in front of foot, repeating his name as her chant, Zelda ran.

_I’ll never forget. I’ll find you. Link. Link!_

Down through the woods she raced, the comet looming overhead. Link had told her she would have three hours to evacuate the whole town. The whole town! The first step was meeting Karson at the explosives storage, and exhausted already, Zelda ran along the rocky paths and into the town, finally making it to the small building next to the construction company headquarters.

Karson was waiting there for her with his horse, and he waved her over. “Where’ve you been?”

“I’m sorry!” Zelda said. “He told me what to do, it’s okay!”

“Huh, who?”

“Don’t worry. Let’s just go!”

They set the fuse, lit the explosive, and climbed onto Karson’s horse as fast as they could. Less than a minute later, there was a huge explosion behind them. A ball of flame erupted from the store and rose high into the air, sending debris and dirt in all direction. Zelda cried out, but Karson just roared with laughter, and together they bolted towards the festival grounds.

Claree was waiting anxiously at the entrance, and uniforms stuffed into a bag. “Oh…I can’t believe you made me wait so long! I only found two!”

“You get changed, I’ll cover you,” Zelda instructed, pointing to a nearby stall.

Karson and Claree ducked behind a stall while Zelda kept watch. Muffled bickering came from behind the stall as they changed.

“Don’t look!”

“I wasn’t!”

They emerged as a pair of guards, their faces covered by the helmets, and nodded that they were ready. In the hills, the fire was blazing, but it did not seem to be spreading. Still, it was clearly visible from the grounds, and so it would have to be enough.

Zelda led the charge, and the three cried out in unison. “Evacuate! Evacuate! The town is in danger!”

They marched up and down the rows of stalls, pointing up to the fire, repeating the call. The festival goers saw, beginning to whisper amongst themselves. And yet, none left the grounds or even gave the fire a second look. _Someone will put it out, it’s okay,_ they murmured.  

“It’s not working!” Claree cried. “Zelda, what do we do!?”

She did not answer, lost in her thoughts. _Who are you? Someone dear to me…someone I didn’t want to forget…_

“Zelda…?” Claree repeated.

“I…I can’t remember his name!” Zelda said, become more and more desperate the harder she tried to recall him. “Who was he?”

Claree stared at her blankly, and Karson grabbed her by the shoulders, shaking her.

“C’mon, we gotta go!” he shouted, and amongst the festival goers, someone recognised his voice. Old man Bolson emerged from the crowd, pure fury on his weathered face.

He tore the helmet off Karson’s head. “What is this? What are you three playing at?”

“Father, listen to me please—“

Bolson threw the helmet down. “Did you steal these? Go home, now, all three of you!”

He dragged Karson away, and Claree followed along helplessly. “I’m sorry Zelda!” Karson called. “Go convince your father! It’s the only way!”

Zelda gulped and looked towards the House of Elders. It was about a quarter turn around the lake, and just getting there would take half an hour. The run was daunting, let alone the thought of facing her father! A few festival goers passed by, whispering concern about Zelda’s antics. _They’re all going to die, unless I do this!_

Shoes crunching on the dirt, Zelda began to run along the edge of the lake. Past houses she ran, past the stores she had known since her childhood, past the trees and statues and side streets that made her town. It would all be gone in less than two hours, obliterated, unless she could save them. Unless she could carry out his plan. Wait, whose plan? _Who are you? What was your name?_

Above, the comet was at its brightest, and silently, it began to split.

“No!” Zelda cried, watching in horror as it began to fall.

Eyes fixed skyward, she did not see the crack in the path, and her foot caught. She flew forward, landing hard on the ground and rolling over the rocks and dirt to a painful stop. The falling comet reflected off the waters beside her, bearing down with a ferocity that she alone could not prevent.

She couldn’t do it… She couldn’t remember… She would fail him… She would fail them all.  

_Hey, Zelda, before you go…_

His voice was clear in her mind, so clear that Zelda nearly gasped. It was as if he had never left, telling her that they should write their names, and she remembered -- He had written his name on her palm!

Carefully, Zelda unfurled her hand and read the neat writing.

 _I love you_.

She broke into a laugh, fresh, happy tears in her eyes. Her strength restored, Zelda pulled herself to her feet and held shaking her palm to her lips.

“I can’t remember your name with this,” she whispered, but was no less grateful. Whoever he was, he was out there somewhere. He wanted her to live, and so she would. 

Determined, and full with faith, Zelda continued to run towards her father’s house. She burst into his office to find Paya and her sister there with him. All three were looking out the window at the comet, in awe that it had split.

“Father!” she shouted, and his harsh gaze found her. But when she approached, step by step, foot after foot, his face softened. There dawned an understanding. He nodded for her to speak.

* * *

  _All eyes move skyward. People point, gasp, sigh and some even shake their heads in disbelief. What a beautiful view, they say. A gift of the Goddess._

_The comet has split into two, a fiery piece careening towards Hyrule._

_Across the land, the people tell themselves that the piece will burn up before it reaches the ground. This is what usually happens. In any case, it could not hit a village. It would be near impossible!_

_Even so, the Hyruleans step outside as one to watch the marvel. The Hylians in their sparse villages gather on their rooftops. The Gorons in Death Mountain call it the Sky Rock, and thank the Goddess for sending it to their land. The Zora call it ominous, disliking that a star has fallen from its proper place in the sky. And the Gerudo simply admire the show, calling the colours radiating across the sky a reflection of their own beauty._

_And in Castle Town, the young Knight-in-Training turns back, having made to head inside, feeling called somehow by that comet._ _Watching as the star falls, he tells himself to commit this to memory. If the Goddess has willed such a beautiful view, then he would do everything he could to never forget._

_A hundred miles away, in a sleepy lakeside farming town, the star lands._


	6. braided cord

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Small heads up: This is the epilogue, so make sure you read Ch 5 before this one! I uploaded them at the same time so it might be easy to miss!!

_Eight Years Later_

For Link, mornings had always carried with them a sense of longing, though he wasn’t sure what for. He felt it every day, no matter the hour, but in the mornings it was strongest. He couldn’t remember how long he had felt like this, only that he was always searching…for someone, or something.

He woke in his small lodgings, near the southern garrison of Castle Town, and changed quickly in his Knight’s gear. He was coming up to five years as a fully-fledged Knight, but annoyingly he was still only earning enough to rent a tiny room in the city. He’d hoped to have been promoted by now, to lieutenant or Knight-Captain, but he felt…stagnated. Like he was waiting for someone to catch up to him…or waiting for someone to catch up to.

He met Selmie and Nell at the centre of town, where a large crowd was gathering. They were not on duty today but were required to wear their uniforms regardless. The autumn festival had just passed, and there was to be a parade through Castle Town.

“I think it’s kind of sad, is all…” Selmie was telling Nell as Link approached. “To hold it on the anniversary of that disaster.”

“It’s been ages though,” Nell countered. “Anyway, we don’t know anyone from there.”

“We went there once, don’t you remember?” Selmie asked Link.

Link felt a sense of familiarity, but no definite memories. All he knew about the village was its name and its tragedy. “Yeah, but, I don’t remember why.”

“Me neither,” Selmie sighed. Around them, the crowd was gathering for the parade, and Nell, who was not fond of such a dreary topic, turned to leave. “I gotta run, I’m stationed near the front.”

Selmie drew him in for a quick peck, taking a moment to straighten his tunic. “I’ll see you later.” Link rolled his eyes, by now tired of their small pocket of happiness. Apologising, Selmie turned her attention back to Link. She must have sensed his strange mood, for she said, “You okay? You always seem a little sad this time of year.”

“I don’t know…that comet disaster. It makes me sad as well, though, at least nobody died.”

“The town was pretty though. At least, I imagine it was.”

Link had seen drawings of the village, shown in a book about the events. He had seen it in a bookstore – _Kakariko Village, the town that disappeared –_ and kept a copy on his shelf. The quiet streets and traditional buildings of the town brought him a sense of nostalgia that he didn’t understand but strangely enjoyed none the less. It was comforting to feel connected to something. Eight years ago a meteorite had fallen there, but miraculously no one was killed. The town’s elders, led by the only non-Sheikah elder, had evacuated the people to the local school at the last minute. The elder responsible had to step down, accused of some conspiracy, though no one could say what kind. The town was abandoned.

Selmie mentioned that she was stationed at the back of the procession, and waved as she went, leaving Link alone in the town square. The parade soon began, and all races of Hyrule gathered along the streets to watch. Link walked on the outer edge, his job in part to keep the paraders close and to protect them. As he walked, the faces blurred, by rising out of the furore were a pair of voices that he had never heard but knew well.

“I never get sick of this…” a woman sighed.

“You act like you’ve lived here your whole life!” her companion scoffed.

“Let me pretend, Karson. Anyway, we should head back, I think she’s waiting a bit further down…”

Link looked around for the voices, but he was already passed to pair. He continued on, but the sounds lingered. The parade soon approached a bend in the road, where it would then split into two. Link braced himself to take the left path, through the side streets of the town – it would be challenging to usher several hundred people through a turn without some kind of mishap!

As he approached the turn, he saw a girl standing on the corner, dressed in blue and white, her long blonde hair tied half off her face. He had never seen her before, and yet, like the voices, he knew she was familiar. When their eyes met, he knew she recognised him as well…

_I’ve been searching…always searching…_

_Searching for you!_

Link felt a string between them, reeling him in close, an unseen connection that he had always felt but now saw realised. He tried to call out, but the parade had split, and he was being carried down the side street by the stream of paraders. The girl disappeared. Pushing through the crowd, Link broke desperately from the procession, but could not make out a single face in the swarm. He could not even remember exactly which corner the girl had stood on. It didn’t matter! He would run all day to find her, all of his life if need be!

Through the city streets, between houses, down lanes and up and down stairs he ran, consumed, but not even fully knowing why he searched.

He only knew that he had made a promise. Some time, long ago, he had made himself promise not to forget.

Link careened around a corner into a small alleyway, where the sunlight did not quite reach, and the stones were old and worn. At the other end, her chest heaving and face red, was the very girl he had been searching for. For a moment, she seemed to be looking right at him, but then looked away shyly. Link wasn’t sure what to say. He had never met this girl. He didn’t want to frighten her…

Hesitantly, Link began to walk down the alley, unable to look at the girl. As they passed each other by, Link dared to look back. He saw in her hair blue and white braided cord, and spun around.

“Wait! Have we met?”

The girl froze, and slowly, she turned. Tears were rolling down her face. “I thought so too!”

Link looked down at his hand, feeling a lingering sense of familiarity there. The girl walked up to him and placed her hand in his. A gentle breeze lilted through the laneway, and their eyes met. In the girl’s face, Link saw the end of his search.

They asked the question in unison;

“Your name is?”


End file.
